EFL Trophy Pizza Cup Rovers (0) v Wigan (0) pen 5-6

[Sparky]

Jolley as captain against his old club is a surprise, perhaps Beck doing a guest manager slot. Given how little match action he’s had recently would have thought Morris might start, while Dennis not even on the bench. Hopefully some of the fringe players give Nigel something to think about.

Yes bit of a strange choice for captain tonight.

 

[Boz]

Been mostly Wigan. Can’t say anyone ina white shirt has stood out that half.

 

[Ian]

Yeah, bit of a dead game as expected but neither team dangerous. Hopefully it will open up a little in the second half.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Just one sub so far. Jake Leake retires after 45 minutes as expected. On comes Mikey Davies, who is our seventh left back this season.

 

[Ian]

On comes Mikey Davies, who is our seventh left back this season.

 

[Ian]

Wigan putting the pressure on. Morris on for McAlear.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Sounds like a poor game with Wigan on top. Incredibly they have had 17 shots, none on target. We’ve had one shot out of our six on target.

 

[Ian]

Yeah, quite poor all round. Looks like we are heading to pens.

 

[Sparky]

Surprise surprise Saunders can’t even score from 12 yards

 

[Sparky]

Sam Taylor misses too….

 

[Ian]

Wiga win 6-5 on pens.

 

[Sparky]

Pike misses and we lose on penalties. Doesn’t really matter although Saunders had a chance to win it for us and hit the bar with his

 

[Ian]

Surprise surprise Saunders can’t even score from 12 yards

He's useless.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Awful. How many poor souls had to watch it?

 

[Sparky]

Awful. How many poor souls had to watch it?

I was close to going but gave it a miss thankfully.

 

[Sparky]

Sounds like Jolley didn’t have a great night apart from his penalty. Really needs a spell out on loan at his level which isn’t league two.

Our spell in the trophy ends for 2023 without a goal in open play

 

[Ian]

They were all pretty sub standard tonight.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Just one sub so far. Jake Leake retires after 45 minutes as expected. On comes Mikey Davies, who is our seventh left back this season.

Leake, wood, norris, turnbull, morris, pike, yarney, davies 8? may have missed one?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought the youngsters did pretty well given the relative strength of the side Wigan put out. There was much more quality and experience in the opposing team, with McManaman, Wyke, Smith et al. However, none of the Rovers starters did anything to suggest they should be in the first eleven, although Leake did well against Jonny Smith in the first half.

The biggest positive was that we stuck with the 442 formation, worked hard and looked organised. There was a lack of quality at times, but at least it was another reasonably solid display rather than the shambles of the early weeks of the season.

The first half was sterile, albeit we kept our shape well, but the game opened out after half time. Wyke missed two unbelievable sitters for a striker of his reputation, and Saunders missed our best chance in open play, in addition to his penalty. He really could not finish his dinner.

I had the pleasure of Jamie Carragher sitting a couple of rows behind, presumably there to see his son.

 

[Sparky]

Merrie?

Leake, wood, norris, turnbull, morris, pike, yarney, davies 8? may have missed one?

merrie?